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Topic: What next? (Read 809 times)

I have now completed my first two cheddars and all went according to plan (I think ). At least they looked fine and am about to wax the second one and am aware I need to wait a few months before I know if I succeeded. They might taste of old cabbage for all I know at this stage!

Anxious to increase my experience I would now like to try another cheese so does anyone have any recommendations?

I don't have a PH tester but stuck to the recipe times pretty well so I hope the end result is not too far out but.............should I get one now? So many recipes call for their use and the more I read, the more technical it becomes and to be frank, a bit overwhelming.

I'd say go with whatever you have a taste for, really. But if you want recommendations, for something different, I guessed I'd suggest a washed curd cheese, like a Gouda. Though you might also want to go with something that is quicker to age, just so you get a chance to taste. Colby is a washed curd cheese that only ages for one month. Caerphilly is kind of a cheddar light that ages for three weeks. For slightly more interesting makes you could go for a drunken goat/drunken cow, also for a month. But really, go for whatever you have a taste for.

As far as pH tester, I'd say for now that you probably don't need it (unless you want a new cheesemaking gadget). It will help you figure out what exactly is going on and hew closer to standardizing your recipes, but for the moment I'd just experiment with the recipes. Unless something turns out very wrong with your cheeses you should be fine without. I'm saying this as someone who's made a little over a dozen cheeses and doesn't have a pH tester. (Although, none of the recipes I've run into have full pH information, so I've not really been tempted to do more than get some pH strips to check and see how acidic the brine of my feta is)

All this makes sense, thank for the advice. I love cheddar and although Caerphilly is a little mild for me, I quite like it too. The trouble is, I have visited both Cheddar and the place where they make it and Caerphilly in Wales and I bet I will be hypercritical when I compare my efforts to emulate them. Still, I have to learn to walk before I can run.

I hadn't heard of drunken cow at all, I have not seen it in England but I am guessing this involves alcohol so will look up a recipe. It sounds interesting and just up my street as I make my own wine too.

Lancashire is a cheddar-type that has good flavor and a creamy paste in six weeks. A nice one to hold you over while you wait on those other cheddars to age. I like Gouda, too. Much milder flavor, but different character altogether, and one of the easier to get "right" in my experience.

I don't use a pH meter, but that's just me - I prefer the old fashioned methods. It's nice that we have a choice, huh?